New Yorkers are living the high life—literally.
It’s no surprise that cannabis in NYC has been steadily on the rise following 2021’s marijuana legalization in the state, which allows New Yorkers 21 years and older to possess, consume, buy and transport up to three ounces of marijuana and up to 24 grams of concentrated cannabis (the stuff used in tinctures, oils and the like). We now have recreational cannabis dispensaries throughout the city, including NYC’s first luxury cannabis and cultural store, Gotham, with plenty more on the way. (The state approved 53 more recreational cannabis shop applications in NYC this past spring.)
And according to a recent study by the 2023 Cannabis Global Price Index, cannabis culture has become so entrenched in city life that NYC ranks as the top city in the world when it comes to marijuana consumption, including but not limited to smoking, vaporizing and edibles.
After examining “the top and bottom cannabis-consuming nations to choose the study cities,” the study found that New Yorkers consume an average of 62.3 metric tons of weed every year, beating out fellow dope-loving domestic destinations like Los Angeles (which comes in at 35 metric tons), Chicago (24.9) and Houston (18.5), as well as international cities including Sydney (45.8 metric tons), Rome (21.9) and Tokyo (16.7), all of which cracked the top 10 in terms of total global consumption despite marijuana being illegal there.
The data also revealed which cities had the most and least expensive marijuana. Ranked against its American brethren, New York City came in fourth for the most expensive at $12.5 per gram, with Washington, D.C, Seattle and Killdeer, North Dakota besting it. As for the least expensive, Portland, Oregon, where you can get a gram for seven bucks, is the cheapest in the U.S. Overall, the most expensive city to toque up in the world is Tokyo, set at $33.80 per gram, while Montreal is the least expensive, with a gram set at the bargain price of $5.90.
Good news for cannabis users stateside: the study also revealed that the price of marijuana per gram in the United States might fall to $5.61 in 2030.
H/T: www.timeout.com